Sweet as Honey

After spending so much time running around underground, Hummingbird appreciated the routine of the surface much more. No more euoplos and their big scary clubs! (Though Peach Pit had been very nice.) No more nasty, mean iguanodons! Sure, the surface wasn’t always peaceful, it still had carnos and acros and cryos that weren’t as sweet as Fainel, but at least she knew what to expect.

Like Lovebird and Macaw running up to her, looking much too confident, which she knew was a sign that they were all about to get themselves in terrible trouble.

“Honey,” Lovebird announced. Macaw nodded enthusiastically.

“What?”

“We want honey! You’ve heard the grown-ups talk about it, haven’t you? They say it’s sweeter than the finest nectar! More delicious than fresh eggs!”

“And defended by angry bees.” Hummingbird hadn’t been told outright, but she knew the two of them well enough to recognize she was being conscripted into their latest scheme. It really wasn’t a matter of excusing herself, but getting them to back off, or at least reconsider what they were doing. “You’ll get stung a dozen times before you can get any!”

The pair grinned, which was always bad sign. “Good thing you have feathers, then, Hummingbird! They’ll have a much harder time stinging you than us!”

“I didn’t even agree to help yet!”

“Picture this,” Lovebird continued, completely ignoring her, “we find a beehive. You climb up the tree and knock it down, getting the bees’ attention. And while you keep them distracted, me and Macaw scoop up all of the honeycombs!”

“Do I get any honey from this?”

“We can split it! Macaw and I can eat our share, and you can use yours to make the stings less… sting-y. Or! You could eat them too! You don’t have to make that face… It’s a win-win for everyone!”

Macaw gave her an apologetic look, as if he would have phrased it better, if he was capable of wording anything at all. Lovebird’s “eloquence” made her miss Fainel; she always knew how to get them out of trouble with words alone.

“This is ridiculous,” she said.

“But it’ll be delicious,” Lovebird sang. Macaw’s scarlet eyes burned with mischief, but earnestness, too; they really did need her help for their plans to come to fruition. And he would let her eat as much honey as she wanted once they had it.

#

“Bad idea,” Hummingbird whispered. “This is a very bad idea.” But I agreed to it…

The branch wobbled under her weight. Just a few feet ahead of her was the beehive, nestled against the tree’s trunk. Bees were gathered in a thick cloud around it, but they buzzed so loudly it felt like they were flying in Hummingbird’s brain instead. All of those stingers…

She glanced down, hoping to see Macaw and Lovebird and get some words or looks of encouragement, and regretted it immediately. She was so high off of the ground! The leaf litter below her all seemed to melt together, turning the earth into a disorienting, swirling patchwork of colors.

As her head swam, she considered turning back. But it would be difficult to get back to the tree she’d used to get where she was now, since the branch was so narrow. And that would mean that all of that climbing would have been for nothing! She didn’t want to deal with that ever again, unless she was climbing onto a friend’s back. That had been much less nerve-wracking.

Her heart filled with a new resolve, Hummingbird dug her claws into the bark, bringing herself as low as she dared, her muscles taut. Her eyes honed in on the beige ball hidden in the haze of bees.

And with a sharp intake of breath, she pounced.

Talons outstretched, she threw herself at the hive, and landed true. Her momentum knocked it right out of the tree, sending herself and the bees tumbling to the ground.

She stood up, and had the hive perfectly pinned beneath her. “I did it!” she laughed. Lovebird’s plan actually worked!

Then the buzzing, somehow, grew louder. And angrier.

Right. That was the other half of the plan.

Quick as a rabbit, she hopped off of the crumbled hive and darted into the undergrowth. She didn’t dare look back; she could only hope that the swarm was following her, giving Lovebird and Macaw a chance to grab the honeycombs unopposed.

#

Hummingbird returned to the roost, her legs as stiff as tree trunks and her hindquarters swollen and itchy. She wondered if her feathers had helped at all, or if Macaw or Lovebird would be stinging just as badly. She supposed it didn’t really matter. It had already been done, to Lovebird’s sure delight.

Macaw found her before she could find them. He was bouncing with excitement, rubbing against her sides before running off again. Eager for her share of the honey, she followed after him despite the ache in her limbs.

Lovebird was laying under a copse, tail wagging as she worked her way through a honeycomb. She didn’t look up as the other two joined her and Macaw slid over Hummingbird’s portion.

“Thank you,” Hummingbird said.

Macaw seemed a little affronted by this, and gave Lovebird a light kick.

“What?” She was clearly irritated that her snacking had been interrupted. He pointed at Hummingbird. “You’re back,” she said to her, still sounding disinterested.

He glared.

“…Oh! Thank you for your help. You should try some honey, it’s delicious!”

It better be, she thought. She sat across from Lovebird and dug her beak into one of the honeycombs, carving out the golden honey.

It was so, so worth it. The honey was slightly chilled from its time out of the hive, which only made its taste stand out more. She lapped it up eagerly.

As she ate, Macaw sat very close to her, his spiky hide brushing her flank. He gave her neck feathers a quick nibble before he went back to licking his own honeycomb. Though he couldn’t speak, his message was clear: he was very, very grateful, and thought she’d done an amazing job. For Hummingbird, it made the honey taste all the sweeter.